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Home My WebLink AboutResidential Building Height HandoutƌeŶtoŶǁa.goǀ/peƌŵitĐeŶteƌ | plaŶŶiŶgĐustoŵeƌseƌǀiĐe@ƌeŶtoŶǁa.goǀ | ϰϮϱ-ϰϯϬ-7Ϯ9ϰ ϭϭ/ϭ7/ϮϬϮϮ Page ϭ of ϯ CITY OF RENTON Ι PERMIT CENTER RESIDENTIAL BUILDING HEIGHT This haŶdout addƌesses the ŵost ĐoŵŵoŶlǇ asked ƋuestioŶs aŶd pƌoǀides geŶeƌal iŶfoƌŵatioŶ aďout the alloǁed height of ƌesideŶtial ďuildiŶgs ;ďuildiŶgs loĐated iŶ the RC, R-ϭ, R-ϰ, R-ϲ, R-8, R-ϭϬ, R-ϭϰ, aŶd RMF zoŶesͿ. Please ƌefeƌ to ReŶtoŶ MuŶiĐipal Code ;RMCͿ foƌ ŵoƌe iŶfoƌŵatioŶ, speĐifiĐallǇ SeĐtioŶ ϰ-Ϯ-ϭϭϬ foƌ deǀelopŵeŶt ƌegulatioŶs aŶd Chapteƌ ϰ-ϭϭ RMC foƌ defiŶitioŶs. HOW IS RESIDENTIAL BUILDING HEIGHT MEASURED IN THE CITY OF RENTON? Height is ŵeasuƌed fƌoŵ the gƌade plaŶe ;i.e., aǀeƌage gƌadeͿ to the ǁall plates, aŶd theŶ fƌoŵ the ǁall plates to the top of the ďuildiŶg oƌ otheƌ attaĐhed stƌuĐtuƌes ;e.g., a ƌooftop deĐkͿ. WHAT IS A WALL PLATE? A ǁall plate is a hoƌizoŶtal ŵeŵďeƌ ;e.g., luŵďaƌ, ďƌaĐe, etĐ.Ϳ, ďuilt iŶto oƌ laid aloŶg the top of a ǁall, that distƌiďutes aŶd suppoƌts the pƌessuƌe fƌoŵ joists, ƌafteƌs, etĐ. HOW IS A GRADE PLANE DETERMINED? The gƌade plaŶe is the aǀeƌage of ŵultiple fiŶished gƌade ;afteƌ ĐoŶstƌuĐtioŶͿ gƌouŶd eleǀatioŶs. DepeŶdiŶg oŶ site ĐhaƌaĐteƌistiĐs theƌe aƌe thƌee ǁaǇs to deteƌŵiŶe gƌade plaŶe:  If the gƌouŶd leǀel ǁithiŶ 6’ of eǆteƌioƌ ǁalls is geŶeƌallǇ leǀel ;oŶlǇ slopes slightlǇ to pƌoǀide dƌaiŶageͿ: The gƌade plaŶe is the aǀeƌaged eleǀatioŶs at the ĐoƌŶeƌs of the ďuildiŶg.  If the gƌouŶd slopes aǁaǇ fƌoŵ eǆteƌioƌ ǁalls, aŶd the lot liŶe;sͿ aƌe MORE THAN 6’ AWAY: The gƌade plaŶe is the aǀeƌaged eleǀatioŶs of the loǁest poiŶts loĐated ϲ’ aǁaǇ fƌoŵ the eǆteƌioƌ ǁalls.  If the gƌouŶd slopes aǁaǇ fƌoŵ eǆteƌioƌ ǁalls, aŶd the lot liŶe;sͿ aƌe LESS THAN 6’ AWAY: The gƌade plaŶe is the aǀeƌaged eleǀatioŶs of the loǁest poiŶts ďetǁeeŶ the eǆteƌioƌ ǁalls aŶd lot liŶes. Where the slope is iŶĐoŶsisteŶt or retaiŶiŶg ǁalls are utilized, or ǁhere the ďuildiŶg footpriŶt is Đoŵpleǆ, the deterŵiŶatioŶ of grade plaŶe ĐaŶ ďe ŵore ĐoŵpliĐated. IŶ suĐh Đases, a ŵore eǆaĐtiŶg ŵethod for ĐalĐulatiŶg the grade plaŶe ŵust ďe utilized. ƌeŶtoŶǁa.goǀ/peƌŵitĐeŶteƌ | plaŶŶiŶgĐustoŵeƌseƌǀiĐe@ƌeŶtoŶǁa.goǀ | ϰϮϱ-ϰϯϬ-7Ϯ9ϰ ϭϭ/ϭ7/ϮϬϮϮ Page Ϯ of ϯ RESIDENTIAL BUILDING HEIGHT IS THERE A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF STORIES? Yes, the Ŷuŵďeƌ of alloǁed stoƌies depeŶds oŶ the zoŶe. The defiŶitioŶ of a ͞stoƌǇ͟ ŵaǇ ƋualifǇ the fiƌst leǀel of a house to ďe a ďaseŵeŶt iŶstead of a stoƌǇ. The fiƌst flooƌ ŵaǇ ƋualifǇ as a ďaseŵeŶt if the fiŶished flooƌ diƌeĐtlǇ aďoǀe is: ϭ. No ŵoƌe thaŶ ϲ’ aďoǀe gƌade foƌ at least ϱϬ% of the ďuildiŶg’s peƌiŵeteƌ; aŶd Ϯ. No ŵoƌe thaŶ ϭϮ’ aďoǀe gƌade at aŶǇ poiŶt. HOW HIGH CAN MY ROOF EXTEND FROM MY WALL PLATES? Roofs that aƌe pitĐhed at a slope of ϰ:ϭϮ oƌ gƌeateƌ ŵaǇ eǆteŶd up to ϲ’ aďoǀe the ŵaǆiŵuŵ ǁall plate height. If the ǁall plates aƌe loǁeƌ thaŶ the ŵaǆiŵuŵ height alloǁed, the ƌoof ŵaǇ pƌojeĐt higheƌ to ĐoŵpeŶsate foƌ the diffeƌeŶĐe. Foƌ eǆaŵple, if the ŵaǆiŵuŵ ǁall plate height is Ϯϰ’ Ǉet the ǁall plates of a house aƌe Ŷo higheƌ thaŶ ϮϬ’ fƌoŵ the gƌade plaŶe, the ƌoof ŵaǇ eǆteŶd up to ϭϬ’ fƌoŵ the ǁall plates ;Ϯϰ’–ϮϬ’=ϰ’; ϰ’+ϲ’=ϭϬ’ ƌoof heightͿ. Roofs pitĐhed less thaŶ ϰ:ϭϮ ŵaǇ oŶlǇ eǆteŶd aďoǀe the ŵaǆiŵuŵ ǁall plate height if the ƌoof is ͞stepped ďaĐk͟ ϭ.ϱ’ fƌoŵ eaĐh ŵiŶiŵuŵ ďuildiŶg setďaĐk liŶe foƌ eaĐh ϭ’ aďoǀe the ŵaǆiŵuŵ ǁall plate height. The ŵaǆiŵuŵ height of the stepped ďaĐk pƌojeĐtioŶ is ϲ’ fƌoŵ the ŵaǆiŵuŵ ǁall plate height. This eǆĐeptioŶ also applies to featuƌes suĐh as deĐks. IŶ the illustƌatioŶ ďeloǁ, the deĐk eǆteŶds ϲ’ fƌoŵ the ŵaǆiŵuŵ ǁall plate height aŶd is stepped ďaĐk ϵ’ ;ϭ.ϱ’ǆϲ’=ϵ’Ϳ fƌoŵ eaĐh ŵiŶiŵuŵ ďuildiŶg setďaĐk liŶe. The east side of the ďuildiŶg is setďaĐk ϵ’ ďeǇoŶd the ŵiŶiŵuŵ ƌeƋuiƌed setďaĐk liŶe, ǁhiĐh alloǁs that side of the deĐk to ďe flush ǁith the façade. CoŵŵoŶ rooftop features, suĐh as ĐhiŵŶeǇs, ŵaǇ projeĐt aŶ additioŶal four ;4Ϳ ǀertiĐal feet froŵ a roof surfaĐe. ƌeŶtoŶǁa.goǀ/peƌŵitĐeŶteƌ | plaŶŶiŶgĐustoŵeƌseƌǀiĐe@ƌeŶtoŶǁa.goǀ | ϰϮϱ-ϰϯϬ-7Ϯ9ϰ ϭϭ/ϭ7/ϮϬϮϮ Page ϯ of ϯ RESIDENTIAL BUILDING HEIGHT ARE THERE EXCEPTIONS? Yes, theƌe aƌe tǁo eǆĐeptioŶs: ϭ. If a shed ƌoof is the pƌiŵaƌǇ ƌoof suƌfaĐe, ǁall plates ŵaǇ ďe higheƌ thaŶ the ŵaǆiŵuŵ alloǁed as loŶg as the aǀeƌage height of ǁall plates is eƋual oƌ less thaŶ the ŵaǆiŵuŵ alloǁed. IŶ the eǆaŵple ďeloǁ of a house loĐated iŶ a zoŶe ǁith a ŵaǆiŵuŵ ǁall plate height of Ϯϰ,’ the ǁall plates suppoƌtiŶg the high side of the ƌoof aƌe Ϯϴ’ aďoǀe the gƌade plaŶe, aŶd the loǁeƌ ǁall plates aƌe oŶlǇ ϮϬ’ aďoǀe gƌade plaŶe, ǁhiĐh ƌesults iŶ aŶ aǀeƌage ǁall plate height of Ϯϰ’. Ϯ. If a ƌoof suƌfaĐe oŶlǇ Đoǀeƌs a ŵodulated poƌtioŶ of a façade, the ǁall plates suppoƌtiŶg that ƌoof suƌfaĐe ŵaǇ eǆteŶd aďoǀe the ŵaǆiŵuŵ alloǁed ďut ŵust Ŷot eǆteŶd aďoǀe the ƌidgeliŶe of the pƌiŵaƌǇ ƌoof. SuĐh ƋualifǇiŶg façade ŵodulatioŶs aƌe liŵited to ďe Ŷo ǁideƌ thaŶ teŶ feet ;ϭϬ’Ϳ oƌ tǁeŶtǇ-fiǀe peƌĐeŶt ;Ϯϱ%Ϳ of the ďuildiŶg eleǀatioŶ, ǁhiĐheǀeƌ is gƌeateƌ.